Skill Challenge: Survive a night in the haunted dungeon

[pukunui]

Thanks for the detailed response, Mustrum. It's much appreciated.

However, I think that keeping the two things separate might be better in this case. After all, they are going to be holed up in that room for about 24 hours ...

I figured I'd do the goblin thing fairly early on and then do the survive the night one at the end of the rest period (cos if the hobgoblin patrol does break through the barricades, the fight won't last more than a few minutes and the PCs will either die, re-barricade the room, or flee the dungeon and go back to town (thus negating the need for the survival skill challenge at this point -- though I'd still like to have it handy in case they decide to spend the night in the dungeon later on).

 

[Rechan]

Don't forget that even if you manage to get to sleep, you're going to have nightmares.

In fact, I would have someone who fails their endurance check do something spooky (sleep-choke another PC, wake up shrieking, etc) resulting in a -2 morale penalty to the next check.

 

[pukunui]

Don't forget that even if you manage to get to sleep, you're going to have nightmares.

In fact, I would have someone who fails their endurance check do something spooky (sleep-choke another PC, wake up shrieking, etc) resulting in a -2 morale penalty to the next check.

Ha ha. That sounds like fun! (for me at least ... ) Thanks!

 

[LostSoul]

I would approach the idea in a slightly different way.

First, define the opposition. I don't think skill challenges work well unless you have characters on both sides. I mean characters in a story sense; things with an emotional investment in a certain outcome. In that view, the dungeon can be a character, just like Carribean in The Old Man and the Sea.

I think your characters are:

• The PCs, who want to sleep and rest;
• The spirits killed by Sir Keegan, who want vengance upon the living;
• Orcus, as represented by the Shadow Rift, who wants to destroy his enemies;
• and Sir Keegan himself, who wants to be at peace.

Though Sir Keegan is locked up, he might have enough emotional investment in the dungeon environment to play a role. His desire to be at peace ruins the PC's goal because he wants them out of here, they just remind him of his sin, his failure that they have come to correct. However, he could become a source of aid for the PCs, if dealt with in the right way.

The spirits of the slain are going to haunt the PCs. They can be put at rest if their bodies are finally given proper rites.

Orcus and the Shadow Rift - this is going to take the shape of dreams, urgings to kill and slaughter, etc. Basically the same thing that Sir Keegan went through.

So, with that in mind, we come up with a bunch of actions taken by the NPCs that the PCs have to react to.

• Spectral images haunt the party - ghosts float through their campsite, tearing into the PCs, the chill of the grave threatening to spoil their rest and sap the strength from their bones. They cry out: If we cannot rest, neither shall you! (i.e. Throw in their backstory.) Failure: Each PC loses a Healing Surge that he can't get back in this Extended Rest.
• The PCs might be able to track them back to their bodies, at which point they can deal with them. Failure: Stricken by the hopelessness of the situation, their unability to help, they suffer a penalty to future, similar rolls (probably Religion).
• Sir Keegan calls his wife a traitor and a succubus sent by Orcus and he kills her. The PCs watch, horrified by the spectral image playing out before them. Failure: The PCs feel the pain of Keegan's sword blows, hear his wife's cries throughout the night, and lose a Healing Surge they can't recover.
• Finally asleep, they experience unsettling dreams. Dreams that their allies are conspiring against them in the name of Orcus. The only thing to do is to kill them first. Failure: The PC who fails targets another PC who loses a Healing Surge that he can't recover.
• Another encounter with Sir Keegan's spectral ghost.
• A dream where the PCs have fallen in the final room, and Kalarel sacrifices him to the Shadow Rift, loosing the Thing in the Portal onto the world. Failure: Lose a Healing Surge he can't recover, maybe a penalty to a future related roll.

Keep the situation in hand and ever-changing, moving from "minute-to-minute" to much later based on the rolls. Those few ideas should be enough to get the ball rolling, and you play out the response of each character to the actions of the PCs.

You might want to target each PC specifically - only those on watch, for example, or only one has the dream, or only those who leave the campsite (for whatever reason) have to make the roll. If you can tailor the roll to the PC, even better. (A Warlock might be more easily tempted, for example.)

 

[pukunui]

Awesome stuff, LostSoul! Thanks for all your hard work! I really like the way you do things. I wish I could play in one of your games!

 

[LostSoul]

Awesome stuff, LostSoul! Thanks for all your hard work! I really like the way you do things. I wish I could play in one of your games!

Thanks!

One thing I should mention - the actions of the "NPCs" here should be stuff the PCs don't want to endure; if they do nothing, have them suffer the effects of failure, even though they don't have a Failure for the skill challenge.

 

[pukunui]

:bump:

Anyone else have any ideas? I'm going to need to have this figured out by this Friday. I'll spend some time on it myself over the next few days, but if anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to read about them.

I did have one other idea ... I've been trying to think about what the monsters would do. If Balgron meets up with a hobgoblin patrol, would the patrol just stand around waiting for the PCs to come out or would they go alert the Warchief? Would he send all the hobgoblins to wait for the PCs to come out? What would Kalarel do if someone alerted him? I was thinking he might tell the Warchief not to bother and just order a bunch of zombies (or some of the other undead) to be left outside both doors into Balgron's room. Possible the undead might be ordered to break in.

Thoughts?

 

[Rechan]

:bump:

Anyone else have any ideas? I'm going to need to have this figured out by this Friday.

Do you need any more? It seems pretty layed out all ready.

would the patrol just stand around waiting for the PCs to come out or would they go alert the Warchief?

Here is what comes to my mind.

Balgron flees to the first patrol he can find and tells them what's what. The Patrol's leader thinks this problem is small enough that he doesn't need to alert the warchief (he wants glory for handling the situation himself/thinks the warchief would just ask why he didn't take care of it all ready).

So the first patrol plans on breeching the blockade. And were I the hobgoblins, I would try to burn the blockade down.

Assuming the PCs repel the invaders and kill them all, then at some point during the night, someone notices one of the patrols didn't come back. And word eventually gets up to the Warchief, who sends someone to investigate.

If some of the hobs from the first patrol retreat, they go and tell the warchief.

The result is the same: everyone is alert, they batten down the hatches and prepare for a frontal assault.

Someone warns Karalel when the frontal assault from the PCs begin. But he does nothing, really.

 

[pukunui]

Do you need any more? It seems pretty layed out all ready.

Probably not. What I need to do is sit down and work exactly what I want to do based on all the suggestions I have received. I haven't had a chance to do that yet but I will.

Here is what comes to my mind.

Balgron flees to the first patrol he can find and tells them what's what. The Patrol's leader thinks this problem is small enough that he doesn't need to alert the warchief (he wants glory for handling the situation himself/thinks the warchief would just ask why he didn't take care of it all ready).

So the first patrol plans on breeching the blockade. And were I the hobgoblins, I would try to burn the blockade down.

Assuming the PCs repel the invaders and kill them all, then at some point during the night, someone notices one of the patrols didn't come back. And word eventually gets up to the Warchief, who sends someone to investigate.

If some of the hobs from the first patrol retreat, they go and tell the warchief.

The result is the same: everyone is alert, they batten down the hatches and prepare for a frontal assault.

Someone warns Karalel when the frontal assault from the PCs begin. But he does nothing, really.

Thanks. Sounds good to me.

 

[pukunui]

OK, here's my first attempt at writing up the "keeping the hobgoblins from breaking through the barricades" skill challenge (my original "survive the night" challenge will be similar, but based around enduring the creepiness and will come second -- but it's late and I need to go to bed, so it will have to wait).

[sblock=Skill Challenge 1]Skill Challenge 1: Prevent the hobgoblins from breaking through the barricades

Setup: A hobgoblin patrol has discovered the PCs in their hiding place and tries to break through the barricaded doors. If the PCs can’t keep them out, they’ll have to fight them.

Level: 2 (625 XP)

Complexity: 3 (requires 8 successes before 3 failures)

Primary Skills: Bluff, Dungeoneering

Arcana (DC 10): Recall an arcane ward that can help reinforce the door/barricades. Can only gain one success, opens up Hard DC.

Arcana (DC 15): Create the arcane ward to reinforce the door. Unlimited successes.

Bluff (DC 15): Convince the hobgoblins that it’s not worth breaking in to attack or that the PCs are allies not enemies. Unlimited uses but first failure closes off this skill and increases all other DCs by 5 for the rest of the encounter.

Diplomacy (DC 15): Reason with the hobgoblins by appealing to their sense of honor. Unlimited uses but first failure closes off this skill.

Dungeoneering (DC 10): Identify weak spots in the barricades. Can only gain one success, opens up Hard DC.

Dungeoneering (DC 15): Reinforce barricades. Unlimited successes.

Dungeoneering (DC 15): Set up a trap in a barricaded square. No success/failure.
Special: If the challenge fails and the enemies break through, roll Dungeoneering vs Reflex at the first hobgoblin. On a hit, the trap deals 3d8+3 dmg.

History (DC 5): Recall a story of a hero persevering in similar circumstances. No success/failure, grants +2 morale bonus to next skill check made by any PC. Unlimited uses.

History (DC 10): Recall a story that demoralizes the hobgoblins. Can gain only one success, success grants +2 morale bonus / failure a -2 penalty to next skill check made by any PC.

Insight (DC 5): Get a sense of your allies’ morale and/or the determination of the hobgoblins. No success/failure, grants +2 morale bonus / failure a -2 penalty to next skill check made by any PC. Only one use.

Intimidate (DC 15): Make the hobgoblins think twice about breaking through. Only one success.

Nature (DC 15): Set up a trap in a barricaded square. No success/failure.
Special: If the challenge fails and the enemies break through, roll Nature vs Reflex at the first hobgoblin. On a hit, the trap deals 3d8+3 dmg.

Perception (DC 12): Figure out what the hobgoblins are doing by listening intently. No success/failure, grants +2 morale bonus / failure a -2 penalty to next skill check made by any PC. Unlimited uses.

Religion (DC 10): Recall a divine ward that can help reinforce the door/barricades. Can only gain one success, opens up Hard DC.

Religion (DC 15): Cast the divine ward to reinforce the door. Unlimited successes.

Stealth (DC = Hobgoblins’ Passive Perception +2): Trick the hobgoblins into thinking there’s no one in the room by staying very still and quiet. All PCs must succeed on a Stealth check in order for this to work.

Thievery (DC 15): Set up a trap in a barricaded square. No success/failure.
Special: If the challenge fails and the enemies break through, roll Thievery vs Reflex at the first hobgoblin. On a hit, the trap deals 3d8+3 dmg.

Success: The PCs succeed in keeping the hobgoblins out of the room and can continue to rest. They will still have to fight the hobgoblins when they come out.

Failure: The hobgoblins break through and a fight ensues. 0-3 successes = the hobgoblins break through both doors. 4-7 successes = the hobgoblins only break through one door.

Other skills and other uses of the above skills thought of by players can achieve successes as well. The above is just to give me an idea of the most obvious things the players can try (and I'll probably suggest some of them as examples if the players seem stumped).[/sblock]

LOSTSOUL -- when you talk about having the PCs make rolls against the restless spirits and dreams and whatnot, how exactly do you go about it? Do you just describe the situation to your players and then wait for them to tell you what skill they want to use to combat it?